Key instrument for executing color music



March 30,1926. 1,578,373

w. SCHMEER KEY INSTRUMENT FOR EXECUTING COLOR MUSIC Filed Oct. 27, 1924fnvenzor Patented Mar. 30, 1926.

WILHELM SCI-IMEEB, F NUREMBERG, GERMANY.

KEY INSTRUMENT FOE EXECUTING COLOR MUSIC.

Application filed October 27, 1924. Serial 1%!746329.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that I, lVrnHsnM $cnrrnnn, a citizen of the GermanRepublic, and a resident of Nuremberg, Germany, have iii-- 5 ventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Key Instruments for ExecutingColor Music, of which the following a specification.

lr'ly invention relates to a key-instrument by means of whichcolor-music may be executed in an improved manner.

Musical tones are, as is known, in a certain so-to-say parallel ratio tocolors or colortones or tints. I have succeeded in determining andascertaining arithi'netieally' quite a distinct ratio bet 'een thenumber of vibrations of a musical tone and the length of thecolor-vibrations, this ratio being such that the sensations andsentiments caused are equal to one another throughout all octaves.

The previously known key-instruments intended for the execution ofcolor-music suffer from the deficiency that the color-tones, or tintsrespectively, do not appear in a closed succession, joining one anotherwithout gaps, but appear separated from one another according to theunvarying position of their color-fields or color-bodies so that aclosed accord consisting of a continuous succession of color-eflects, orof groups of such ones respectively, cannot be executed whereby thereception and the sensational capacity of the spectators is impaired.

The present invention does away with that deficiency, and for thispurpose the colordisks or equivalent color-bodies are arranged to bemovable, and their movements are controlled in such a manner that thedisks, etc., appear alternately, Without any consideration to theposition of the motion transmitting members actuating them, or to thekeys actuated respectively, singly or in groups behind an aperture or aprojection-opening provided for his purpose. The colors concernedappear, therefore, at the same place before the eyes of the spectators,and pass along singly or in groups, as the case may be, the spectatorsreceiving in this Way closed total impression and their enjoyment beingthus, greatly enhanced.

It is a matter of course that the tempo of the play must becomparatively slow, corresponding to the particularity of the colonmusic, the proper tempo is about that used when playing on a harmonium,

My invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanyingdrawing in which Figure 1 is a perspective illustration of acombinationand arrangement of parts by which the invention can be turned intopractice, and Figure 2 is a veitical section through the upper part of abox enclosing certain of said parts, the section being taken in the line22 of Fig. 1'.

The keys 1 of the instrument act singly (35 on oscillating arms 6 by theintermediary of double-armed lovers 2 and 3, and'transmission-rods 4-.Small frames 8, preferably of oval shape, are attached to the upper endsof the arms 6, one frame, or oval frame respectively, to each arm. Eachof said frames carries a small transparent color-disk 8 the color ofwhich corresponds to the tone pertaining to the position of the key inthe series of the octaves of the instrument. 7

Figure 1 shows only one group of the color-disks in order to obviatecomplicatedness of the figure, but I Wish it to be understood that thearrangement is the same for all keys. I

Each rod 4 is subjected to the action of a retraction spring 5 by whichthe parts are moved back into their position of rest.

The arrangement of the frames '8 with their color-disks P" is such thatthey can cover one another, and in order to permit easily this'change oftheir relative position each frame 8 is attached to its appertaining arm6 by the intermediary of a flexible or pliable member, as for instance ahelical spring 7.

9 denotes a box and 10 an oblong slot in the front-wall thereof. Thearrangement of this slot and the frames 8 with their color-disksrelatively to the slot 10 is such that said frames can be swung behindthe slot and said disks can become visible through it. 11 denotes anelastic guidemember, such as a flat spring or the like by which theframes 8 with their color-disks 8 are brought into and maintained in,proper position with respect to the slot when being caused to appearbehind it" by means of the keys and the motion-transmitting membersdescribed. 1

The color disks can appear behind the slot 10 singly or in a multitudeof arrange ments and combinations, one behind the other or others orside by side. In this lat ter ease, in which two or more colors are"with one another by metallic lugs 10 ang forthtfrom the arms 6 1n thedlrectlon caused to appear side by side, the frames 8 are so locatedwith respectto one another that no; gap remains between them. The frameswith thelr color disks form then what may be termed a closed group orset,

crank lever with thecore 15 of a sole noid 1o the circuit of which isinterrupted at the point16 where there are two contactsprings which canbe connected conductiveiy project- "towards said contact-springs 1e.

The solenoid-circuit can be closed by any of the lugs or progections'16, and the core '15 will then beattracted; down into the solenoid-coil, whereby the bell-cranklever 15 will be so'turned that thetlapwill be oaenedfthe res aective color-disk or disks becoming then visiblethrough the slot 10. :The pro ect1ons 16 cannot here-tamed by thecontact-springs 16, but will leave them as soon as the respective heyis, or. keys are, disengaged, when the current will be lnterrupted, thecore 15 will be raised by the weight of the dropping flap 1 k, and therespective-arm or arms 6 will be caused to reassume its, or their,initial position by the respective retraction. spring 5.

*The color-disks arriving and appearing behind the slot 10 areilluminated by a source of light, for instance an arc-lamp 12 (Fi 2),preferably with the aid of a condenser 13, and the colors are thrownupon a suitable screen (not shown) on-which they ap pear singly or ingroups, corresponding to the key or keys depressed.

I claim:

A key-instrument for the execution of color-music, comprising incombination, a wall and a slot therein; means for closing said slot;transparent colored bodies arranged to appear singly or in groups behindsaid slot; means for transmitting motion from the depressed key or keysto the :appertaining; color-bodies, and means for opening the slotautomatically when a color-body arrives behind it theseameansbeing'actuated by the respective color-body carrier or carriers.

In testimony whereof I 'atiix my'signature.

' WILHELM 'SCI-IMEER.

